Saleswomen and managers for Sterling Jewelers claim the national mega-chain has a less than sterling reputation when it comes to treatment of female employees and have filed a federal class-action lawsuit.

The suit, which names 15 current and past female workers across the country, including three in New York state, accuses Sterling Jewelers of paying women less money than men, passing them over for promotions and subjecting them to sexual harassment.

One worker in California complained that her manager told her, “I’d like to suck your boobs,” according to the sex-discrimination lawsuit that seeks unspecified damages.

A female manager in Indiana accused her supervisor of frequently bragging about his extramarital affairs and ogling customers, in one case asking her “to find out if a young woman who walked by the store was wearing underwear.”

Sterling boasts more than 1,300 stores across the country, operating under at least a dozen names, including five Kay Jewelers locations in New York City.

Managers are allegedly given free rein in setting pay levels, hiring and promotions, with no set system for announcing vacancies and reviewing applications from interested candidates.

“Sterling has allowed managers to notify and recruit for selection employees whom they personally favor in what has historically been known as a ‘tap on the shoulder’ system,” the complaint states.

“While Sterling Jewelers sold more than $1 billion in jewelry last year, it failed to pay the women behind the counter the same wages it paid men and failed to offer them the same chances for promotion,” Joseph Sellers, an attorney for the women, said.

The jewelry company claims it has investigated the allegations and found them to be without merit.